


The Reassurance Job

by sophoklesworld



Series: The Job Chronicles [1]
Category: Leverage
Genre: Angst, Episode: s03e15 The Big Bang Job, First Kiss, Hurt/Comfort, Multi, eliot feels guilty, post Big Bang Job
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-15
Updated: 2016-01-15
Packaged: 2018-05-14 02:16:26
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,133
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5725969
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sophoklesworld/pseuds/sophoklesworld
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This job could have gone so very wrong.<br/>It would've been Eliot's fault. They got lucky this time and Eliot is glad they did.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Reassurance Job

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Shadowcat221b](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shadowcat221b/gifts).



> I had feels after this episode...
> 
> Have fun reading!

Eliot sat on the couch, trying to calm his nerves.  
The last couple of days had been exhausting and adrenaline pumped.

The Big Bang Job was over. Which didn’t mean, that the Moreau Job was over. Because it wasn’t.

But they were leaving for San Lorenzo in two days which meant two days of relaxing — as far as possible when preparing for a job.

 

They all spent the night at Nate’s — they had their rooms here, anyway, and it was more convenient with all the planning they still had to do.

 

Everyone had already gone to bed. Eliot was the only one still up. But the anxiety and fight still were burrowed deep in his bones and he wasn’t able to relax just yet.

 

He took deep breaths, while some events of the job replayed in his head. He didn’t ask for the reminder but his body and heart were still angry about what had happened, what he had to do.

Eliot knew, that Hardison had been screaming internally all through their meeting with Moreau. From the moment on that Eliot said his real name out loud, Hardison had been freaked — even more than usual, that is.

And Eliot had been so scared, too. He wish he could turn back time. But it wouldn’t change a damn thing. This had been a thing he _had_ to do. No amount of regret would change that.

The moment Moreau stood up, Eliot had known what was to come. And he hated it. He hated it and he was scared and worried. But he couldn’t show it.

And the way Moreau said that he liked Hardison — everything in Eliot screamed to just kill him right there.

The relief didn’t actually get to him, until now. Now, he felt it, surging through him — Hardison was still alive. Parker was still alive. Nate and Sophie were still alive. Eliot was still alive. 

 

But at what costs.

He had been killing people today. It made him sick.

So sick that he almost felt guilty to be relieved over their survival, because in this moment he wanted to punish himself for what he had done.

But then, a picture of Hardison in the park flickered in front of his eyes, and he was just _happy_ , that he was still there to bitch at Eliot. Even if it was about Hardison almost drowning. Eliot would take that any day over a dead body.

 

It didn't sit right with him, though. He almost _killed_ Hardison.

 

With a frustrated noise, Eliot got up, and made his way over to Hardison’s room. He needed to talk, needed to apologise.

He knocked softly, because even if he needed to talk he didn’t want to wake up Hardison.

A grunt was all the answer he needed to quietly open the door and slip in.

 

The room was half lit and the picture in front of him once again filled him with gratitude, that they were all still alive.

Parker was curled in on herself, one arm slung around Hardison’s torso. She slept soundly, while Hardison looked at him, one hand behind his head, the other in Parker’s hair.

 

Eliot wasn’t really surprised to see Parker here. After jobs like this, everyone was still sore from nerve-wrecking happenings. And Parker was happier when she was around one of them, after those jobs. She’s been sleeping in Eliot’s bed, before, too.

 

Hardison looked at him quizzically. It made Eliot uncomfortable. He almost turned round to leave again.

Playing with the cuffs of his shirt, he said, "I — uh. Maybe I should go and -", he trailed off.

Hardison snorted and untangled himself from Parker. He sat upright and gestured for Eliot to sit next to him who did what he was asked and for a moment, none of them spoke.

 

"What’s up?"

Hardison asked after a moment.

"I wanted to check, if you’re alright." It wasn’t what Eliot had planned to say. But he wasn’t quite ready to talk about his feelings.

Hardison knew that, of course. He was good at reading Eliot.

"I’m okay." He answered, his voice low. "I am alive and the two people I care about most are here with me."

Hardison stated it so easily. Sometimes Eliot envied him.

"Yeah, that — that’s good. Me too."

After a moment, he pulled himself together.

"Listen, I’m here to tell you, that I’m so _incredibly_ sorry! I am so sorry what Moreau did. I shouldn’t’ve taken you with me, that was stupid and reckless. I —"

The rest of his apology was drowned in Hardison’s mouth. Because apparently, Hardison’s mouth was on his. In a kiss.  
Eliot wasn’t usually one of the slow kind, but the kiss took him by surprise. So much so, that he wasn’t even able to respond at first. And before he had the chance to, Hardison’s lips were gone again.

"It’s okay, Eliot. We’re all still alive. You want to protect us, that’s your job. And you did your job well. I’m still here." He took Eliot’s hand and put it over his heart. The very distinct beat of Hardison’s heart under his fingers, Eliot closed his eyes and just kept his hand on Hardison’s chest.

"I’m still here. We are all still here." Hardison kept mumbling — if to reassure Eliot or himself, Eliot didn’t care.

Then, there were the lips again. Soft and warm and as soothing as the heartbeat.

They only pressed their lips together just so. Dry and without movement. Just the reassurance of the touch.

After a moment, Hardison pulled away. Eliot kept his eyes shut. Listening to the breath of the two people most important to him, felt the heartbeat of one of them and the shifting of the bed.

Hardison’s hand was still on his, his heartbeat steady, as Eliot felt a smaller, colder hand sneaking in-between both of their hands.

Parker put her head on his shoulder, pressing into him.

 

Here, Eliot felt happy. Happy, that his favourite persons were still alive and with him.

He opened his eyes and looked at Hardison, who smiled at him. Blinding and happy. Parker hummed and when she looked down at her, he saw that she, too, was smiling.

 

"Can we go back to sleep now?" she asked.

Hardison nodded and moved to lie back. Eliot wished he could stay just a little longer but saw that as his cue to leave. Parker, as if she knew, pulled him with her, over Hardison and placed him in the middle of the bed.

 

Even if he’d wanted to leave, there was no escape now. Parker was curled around _him_ , now. And Hardison followed, putting an arm over Eliot’s stomach.

 

"G’night." Parker yawned.

"Night." Hardison echoed.

"Good night." Eliot sighed and got comfortable tangled in arms and surrounded by warm bodies.


End file.
